0n Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus Without Fear

Personal evangelism is the art of sharing Jesus passionately with those whom you encounter for the first time and those whom you've already established a relationship with. Effective personal evangelism is based upon one's on-going personal relationship with Jesus himself. One can only be effective in reaching out people for Jesus upon a prior experience with Christ Himself. Successful evangelistic witness is built upon on'es continaul relationship with the Master. Thus, discipleship is the foundational truth of evangelism. That is, a total commitment to follow Jesus daily.

Personal evangelism is also communicating the love of God in Christ to a dying world. In order to reach this postmodern, radical culture for Christ, we need to go where people are,  and where others will not go.  Moreover, it is essential to build bridges of relationship with the people whom Jesus died for and came to save. People matter to God and relationship matters to people. Our Gospel message will have no effect on the lives of the people we seek to evangelize if we fail to love them and establish genuine relationships with them. For we are God's instruments for the purpose of effecting sound and genuine relationships with people. It is our chief goal to proclaim  restoration and reconciliation of all peoples and ethnic groups with God through Jesus Christ, his Son.

In conclusion, the true motivation for evangelism is a zeal for God and a love for others, and a passion for God's glory and the salvation of all people. We are reminded that successful evangelism will be impossible if we fail to make ourselves available to the Spirit of God to use us as He wills.

 To God be the glory,

 Celucien 

Justification by Faith :  What we can learn  from Abraham and David in Romans 4:1-12

Both Abraham and David were justified while they were still ungodly, sinning against God. Particularly, in Romans Paul appeals to Abraham in support of the message of justification by faith. Abraham was a worshipper of false gods and could not do anything to deserve God’s salvation. On the other hand, God forgave David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and have her husband murdered. The same way Abraham was justified as an ungodly individual, anyone can receive God’s free gift of justification. Anyone who would acknowledge his sins before God can also be justified the same way through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Jesus died in order to purchase our pardon and justification. Justification by faith is effected in Christ alone. There is no other means of being right with God. When God saves a person he does not look on the person’s sin but what Christ had done for that individual in the cross. Christ’s imputed righteousness is given to anyone who would believe in him as Savior and Lord. The doctrine of justification by faith is good news for all peoples, all nations who are separate from Christ. In Christ Jesus, God has made salvation available for all.

Faith is essential for one’s justification before God. However it has no power in itself to save. It should not be conceived as a type of work whereby a man does and could earn God's favor. For Paul, the faith that saves sinners is totally independent from human’s merit. It is of God. In other words, the one who believes God does not stand before him in the capacity of a paid worker (vv. 4-5). He has no good work to plead. God only saves the person who does not trust in his work, but believes in God who can justify him (vv. 6-8). Therefore, righteousness is obtained not by working for God but by trusting and believing in him who justifies the ungodly. Therefore “If the discussion of Abraham focused on the fundamental basis for acceptance by God, it is the example of David which highlights the fundamental basis for continuing relationship with God.”

Faith is essential for one’s justification before God. However it has no power in itself to save. It should not be conceived as a type of work whereby a man does and could earn God's favor. For Paul, the faith that saves sinners is totally independent from human’s merit. It is of God. In other words, the one who believes God does not stand before him in the capacity of a paid worker (vv. 4-5). He has no good work to plead. God only saves the person who does not trust in his work, but believes in God who can justify him (vv. 6-8). Therefore, righteousness is obtained not by working for God but by trusting and believing in him who justifies the ungodly. Therefore “If the discussion of Abraham focused on the fundamental basis for acceptance by God, it is the example of David which highlights the fundamental basis for continuing relationship with God.”

In Christ alone,

Celucien